Bird cage



NOV. l, 1932. VA, M KROCZEK 1,885,359

BIRUCAGE Filed Jan. 27. 1950 adding rigidity to the structure.

Patented Nov. 1, 19,32

UNuDfSTAiTsS Anron. KRoczvnK, or cHICAGbfiLLINoIs Bini) CAGE Appucanmm'ea January 27, i930( serial" noi 423,668'.

This invention relates tobird cages,"andy it has for itsv principalr` object to produce a simple and Vpractical bottom construction which is sanitary and possesses certain advantages and conveniences which' will hereinafter more fully appear, Y The invention consists inifthe novelconstruction and in the parts,andrombinations and arrangementsof parts hereinafter described and set forth in the vappended claims. In the accompanying drawing, illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention,V-`

Fig. 17is a side elevation of a bird cage, the bottom thereof being shoWnfin opened condition and aportion of theremovabl'eytray or false bottom being broken awayand shown lin'section; i if fl Fig. 2 is an inverted planview of the cage, looking in the direction of the'larrows 'Q0 indicated; on Vthe line 2 2-of F ig. 1, theremovable vtray or falsebottom beingshown as partially removed; 5

portion of the cage, "on van enlarged scale, taken on or about'the line 3 3 of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is af fragmentary section of thev lower portion ofy the cage, similar'to F ig.` v3 'but beingftaken on or about the line f tof FigxlgandjfV A Fig. 5 is a detailperspective -view ofthe latch element for thejhingedcage bottom. Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates generally the-wire frame body of the cage, which maybe of any ordinary construction except as to the bottom portion thereof, to which the present invention directly relates. The cage shown in the drawing is of the round type but, obviously, it may be of rectangular or other polygonal 553 shape.

As shown, the cage body frame comprises a base ring or annulus 11 formed of sheet metal and suitably ribbed annularly, as at V12, for purposes of ornamentation as well as As more directly concerns the present invention, the lower marginal portion 13 of this base" ring or annulas 11 is offset outwardly so as to i produce an annular internal shoulder 1e and,

"' preferably, the extreme marginal portion of Fig. 3 is a fragmentary se'ctionfof the lowerV said rolledI or beaded, asat 1,5, "t'o'give further rigidity to the structure and 'toprodu'ce ablunt edge. Y

v`Hinged-ly mounted within the annular base member 11 is aicir'cular bottom plate 16 having ra A'depending marginalflange 17. The hinging 0f', the "bettomll member. 1.6 "is preferably effecte'd throughfthe .medium of 'headed studs 18 which are" inserted fromV the outside through apertures provided therefor in the outwardlyioffset base portion 13, and through registered. apertures provided Ltherefor in ,the llangel( of the'bottom member 16, the apertures inthe portionv 13 being of sub-V stanltially the same diameter yas the studsso that rather. snugly therein', but the apertures" 'n' /theflange `17 of `the bottom fmemberj 1,6 "being f preferably f f somewhat c largedameteri 'than :the Studs Aas 150 Pif- Vn'iit a swinginggmovement yof `the'bottom 15," as will-,presently more ffully appear;` l

' ifllhe,y respective stud'sf18 'are"transversely aperturedin a 'planeg close tothe inner faceV of the flange 17 of the bottom memberl, and

inserted vthrough. said transverse apertures 'is awire 19, preferably ofa resilient charac.- ter, said wire being loopedat one end, as'at 20, so as to aiordahead for, convenience in applying "and removingsaidwire. By this arrangement, owing to the studs'18 loosely `fitting,the apertures in -the "flange 17 of the bottom Inember'lv and there being preferably allowance for slight play between the` flange 17 andthe wire, 19, and duefalso to a certain deigrjeef'of inherent resiliencein the flange l17, the bottom member-15 is'capable of being swungoutvof theannulang'frame member 11 Ato a limiteddegree, as shownmore clearly in Fig. 1 o'f the drawing, and to which posi-r tion saidbottom member 16V may drop'by its `ow-n weight or under` the weight vof a utensil or device which may be placed thereon within: the cage, unless saidbottom member 16 is supported ybya latch device, which will new bcdescribed. f y f The latchdevice, designated generally by the numeralfQlr, comprises, as shown, an elon;

'gated body portion ortongue22 which is se-V cured at one end tothe inner side of theflange Y 17 of the bottom member 16'by any approved or obvious method of attachment such as soldering, welding or riveting, as may be desired. At the opposite end of this tongue jects, is a handle extension 26 whose end portion 27 is bent at right angles thereto alfford a grasping porti-on for convenience in lwithdrawing the lug A23 from the opening 25 in the base member 11, the lateral extension 2 6 of the latch member slidably engaging the under face of the bottom plate 16. In some cases, the inherent resilience of the tongue 22 "may -be depended upon to yieldably hold the latch member in normal position, but :a supplemental leaf spring28 is preferably provided in cooperative relation to said tongue 22, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawmg.

In the closed position of the bottom member 16, it is adaptedto support a false bottom Aor removable tray 29, which latter, as shown, rests fiatwise upon said bottom member 16 Vand is provided with an annular .marginal flange 30 which fits rather snugly all around in freely slidable engagement with the inner 'face of the-outwardlyofi'set portion 13 of the base ring or annulus 11 of the body frame, said flange 30 being of such height that its marginal portion engages the inter-nal annullar shoulder 14 of the base member'11 when i., vthe bottom member 16 is in its closed position, as shown in Figs. B and 4 of the drawing.

YThis removable false bottom or tray 29 is preferably enameled or otherwise treated to enhance the sanitary qualities thereof, and

is readily'removed from and replaced in the cage by merely releasing 'the latch device 21 and permitting the bottom 16 to drop to its limited open position.

Obviously), the structure maybe modified 'considerably Without departing from the spirit and .scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A bird cage having an annular base member, an annularly flanged vbottom plate removably fitted in said base member, means for hingedly supporting said bottom member comprising studs insertable through alined apertures in said base member and the flange .j of said bottom member, and a retaining wire inserted through transverse apertures in said studs adjacent to the inner side of the flange of said bottom member, and means for releasably latching said bottom member in closed position.

2. In a bird cage, an annular base member, said base member having an outwardly offset lower portion and an internal annular shoulder, a bottom member having a marginal flange and being fitted movably within said base member, means for hingedly supporting said bottom in said base member comprising studs inserted through registered apertures in said base member and the marginal flange of said bottom member, and a retaining wire inserted through transverse apertures provided therefor in said studs adjacent to the inner face of the marginal flange of said bottom member, latch means for releasably holdin g said bottom member in Vnormal closed position, and a false bottom comprising a removable tray having a marginal flange, saidv tray being supported on said bottom member and having its marginal. flange retained between said bottom member and the internal annular flange of said base member.

3. In a bird cage, an annular base member, a bottom `member having amarginal flange, means for hingedly support-ingl said bottom member within the base member comprising studs inserted through registered apertures in the base member and the marginalflange of said bottom member, and a wire extend-ed through transverse apertures'provided therefor .in said studs acent to the inner face of t: the marginal flange of saidbottom member,

and a latch device comprising va leafsecured at one end to the inner side of tie marginal liange of sai-d bottom member and being yieldably held in engagement therewith, said ie."

leaf having an outwardly yextending projection engageable in an opening provided therefor in said yannular base member, said leaf having an inwardly extending lateral por- Ytion affording a handle for said latch device. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.V Y Y .ANTON M. KRQCZEK.

L. TIS 

